The Music of "Tony Hawk"

Debuting in 1999, the Tony Hawk series of skateboarding games set the standard for licensed music in video games. Neversoft's eight best titles in the series, from Tony Hawk's Pro Skater to Tony Hawk's Project 8, consistently introduced the masses to underground acts, deep tracks, and lesser known one-hit-wonders of Punk, Ska, Hip Hop, Rock, and Metal.

This one's pretty weak...I mean, what do Frank Sinatra and Johnny Cash have to do with skate culture? The game's "Jackass" vibe wasn't so hot either. Such a letdown after THUG 1's awesome career mode...

Alas, they finally ran out of steam. Project 8 has an impressive open world, but a mostly filler soundtrack. Even Primus and Ramones couldn't deliver. But, it wouldn't be Tony Hawk if it didn't have a FEW good ones...

The Tony Hawk series has changed my life. Biggest impact any media has had on my life. Period. I've see so many of the bands, rappers, and rap groups listed above live in concert. I own multiple vinyl albums from some of these groups, I own tons of classic skate videos with some of this music in them, I have the best memories of my life skateboarding with friends because of this series (and playing it at night at sleepovers).

Underground is my favourite for a few reasons but if we keep it soundtrack, it matched the "underground" theme of the game. A lot of the music in here was fresh in 2003. I come to think of Cannibal Ox's "Iron Galaxy" off their now classic album "The Cold Vein". That was when NYC hip hop went three directions: The classic boom bap sound, the new Swizz style beats of DMX/hype anthems like Dipset/gangsta rap like 50 Cent. Then there was this underground lane of like esoteric hardcore storytelling mixed with thick textured production. That was Cannibal Ox with El-P and that whole Def Jux movement. It was underground but had a PUNCH. Then over on the west coast, dudes like Del the Funky Homosapien were reinventing themselves with concept albums in Deltron 3030. Both groups had songs in this game.

Underground was like a mainstream product that lifted up a vibrant underground music scene from the time. I don't think I was into underground hip hop and certainly never listened to hardcore punk until 2003 when this game came out. I was only like 8 years old after all. Up to then I was really into 50 Cent, and Green Day on the rock side of things, Sabbath on the metal side. The rest is history.